Jon M
Member
Hi, Could any of you please advise on the best method for mooring to a finger pontoon about 5 feet shorter that the boat?
Mooring to short pontoon
- Thread starter Jon M
- Start date
sailorman
Well-Known Member
use a forrard spring
VicS
Well-Known Member
The recommended method of mooring alongside is
Diagram from Jimmy Green's website
You wont be able to use a head rope or a stern rope (1 & 6 )
The quarter rope (5) will have to go from the end of the finger to a suitably placed cleat or maybe a sheet winch.
The forward spring (4) will have to go to the end of the finger.
If it is your permanent berth you should request a longer finger or another berth with a full length finger. You are presumably paying for the actual length of the boat, not one which is 5 feet shorter
You wont be able to use a head rope or a stern rope (1 & 6 )
The quarter rope (5) will have to go from the end of the finger to a suitably placed cleat or maybe a sheet winch.
The forward spring (4) will have to go to the end of the finger.
If it is your permanent berth you should request a longer finger or another berth with a full length finger. You are presumably paying for the actual length of the boat, not one which is 5 feet shorter
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LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
dt4134
Well-Known Member
I find the angles of the mooring warps work out a bit better if you moor stern in. The lead to the bow cleat from the end of the pontoon is just a bit more comfortable than the equivalent lead to the quarter cleat if you're bow in.
chasroberts
Well-Known Member
We too are stuck with a short pontoon some 3 mts shorter than the boat but as we were lucky to get in at all I am not in a position to moan too much.
A lot depends on the various layouts of the pontoon and boat itself. The outside cleat on the pontoon is almost in line with our centre cleat so a short line beyween the two is the primary rope. From this pontoon cleat we also have a forward spring and a stern line. Two standard bow lines complete the operation.
We do move around a bit more than I would like but as I said we can't complain too much.
Good luck
Chas
A lot depends on the various layouts of the pontoon and boat itself. The outside cleat on the pontoon is almost in line with our centre cleat so a short line beyween the two is the primary rope. From this pontoon cleat we also have a forward spring and a stern line. Two standard bow lines complete the operation.
We do move around a bit more than I would like but as I said we can't complain too much.
Good luck
Chas
onesea
Well-Known Member
Perssonally I would tie up as per pic.
I would try to AVOID any ropes like those in PINK and keep to the RED ones.
Short ropes tend to snatch and can start doing considerable damage...
Richard10002
Well-Known Member
Tight springs and saggy breasts?
onesea
Well-Known Member
Yup actually given normal berthing I do not use breasts, particularly at the stern.
Even if just stopping for stores water/ fuel... I just find the snatching caused by them is uncomfortable and puts people off balance...
Personal choice and all...
Elessar
Well-Known Member
If you have a midships cleat it's easy.
Go in stern to and just pretend your midships cleat is your bow cleat, and tie up as normal.
Fingers half the length of the boat or even less no problem. Nor is getting ashore.
stevebrassett
Well-Known Member
Re Onesea's diagram. Completely agree about not using short ropes, but I think I would add one more - you have four ropes that stop you moving backwards, but only one that stops you moving forwards. The problem is, if you don't use a short rope I'm not sure where you'd put it!
Possibly from the cleat on the far side of the finger, but then the rope would cross the finger and present a tripping hazard.
Possibly from the cleat on the far side of the finger, but then the rope would cross the finger and present a tripping hazard.
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rob2
Well-Known Member
You can always run a line down the other side from the centre cleat to the main pontoon - most have cleats between the finger berths to accomodate the need for extra lines. If that doesn't counter the turning tendency, then you can always divert it around the quarter cleat, whilst still having the length of line to minimise snatch.
Rob.
Rob.
johnalison
Well-Known Member
This can also be a useful method when stuck in high cross winds and you are on the "lee shore". A line hauled tight from the midships weather cleat running forwards against one running aft on the other side will pull the boat off the pontoon and avoid the inevitable fender squeaks.
As we are often visiting harbours away from home we are accustomed to improvising on short and sometimes very unsatisfactory pontoons, often little more than half our boat's length. Sometimes you just have to make the best of a bad job.
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
Primary Sheet Winch Used On My Boat In Similar Circumstances
Jon M,
My pontoon is about 5-6 ft shorter than the boat. I find that the mid ship cleat isn't really useful for the pontoon centre cleat or aft cleat. However, the sheet winch is in the right place and lines up with the stern pontoon cleat. It also allow the run of a stern spring to be fair and effective. The line from winch which is an acting breast line doesn't snub that much as I use a rubber mooring line snubber wrapped around the line. The aft spring on my boat can be run straight from the winch but on some it might foul the guard wires. I use some hose length sections to protect from chad but will use some longitudinally split plastic pipe to pop over the gunnels; the breast line does drop down at quite a steep angle to the pontoon and so the sawing action is more severe than a line from the deck mounted cleat would produce.
I don't particularly like using the primary sheet winch for this but it does the job.
Regards,
BlowingOldBoots
Jon M,
My pontoon is about 5-6 ft shorter than the boat. I find that the mid ship cleat isn't really useful for the pontoon centre cleat or aft cleat. However, the sheet winch is in the right place and lines up with the stern pontoon cleat. It also allow the run of a stern spring to be fair and effective. The line from winch which is an acting breast line doesn't snub that much as I use a rubber mooring line snubber wrapped around the line. The aft spring on my boat can be run straight from the winch but on some it might foul the guard wires. I use some hose length sections to protect from chad but will use some longitudinally split plastic pipe to pop over the gunnels; the breast line does drop down at quite a steep angle to the pontoon and so the sawing action is more severe than a line from the deck mounted cleat would produce.
I don't particularly like using the primary sheet winch for this but it does the job.
Regards,
BlowingOldBoots
D
Deleted member 36384
Guest
A neighbour on the other side of the finger pontoon might object to using their cleat. My neighbours like to cover the cleat in turns and figures of eights, of the more is better school. I wouldn't trust them to manage my line if they are moving.
Billjratt
Well-Known Member
This one will work with the following mods: Add a line from the port quarter forward to a cleat as far away from the bow as practicable to hold the boat off the pontoon( along with the one from the port bow) the most important one then becomes the spring back from the starboard bow.
Adjust tensions so the "Z" ropes mentioned above are tight enough to hold off when being blown on, but relaxed without the boat being so far off you can't reach it!
rotrax
Well-Known Member
Going in stern to on our boat-you would have to be brave to risk it in a tight marina! We manage by using a selection of the advice given on here, especially two bow warps. Once in Emsworth the pontoon was half our length and it blew up a bit-we did not move for three nights-but we survived OK. The winch tip is one we often use.
Jon M
Member
Thanks for the advice
Many thanks for sharing all the advice - I will be trying them in the next few weeks. I am sure that wome of them are an improvement on my current technique!
Kind regards,
Jon M
Many thanks for sharing all the advice - I will be trying them in the next few weeks. I am sure that wome of them are an improvement on my current technique!
Kind regards,
Jon M